First Steps
by Amaranthin Dae
Summary: It's hard to let go of the past. But sometimes, old wounds need to be pushed aside to make way for the future.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: **Yeah, I know this'll probably sound cliché and uninteresting and stuff, but please give this story a chance...it would make me happy :) Basically what I've done is insert OC's into the original plot of _Naruto_. I don't plan on changing any major plot elements, and won't do anything that would majorly change anything important in the original plot. I also try really hard not to make Mary-Sue's, and to still make the story interesting and at least a little original._

_This will be a HUGE story eventually...I estimate that it'll take me several years (or maybe more) to complete if I actually carry out my goal and update every week. Keep that in mind if you feel that it's moving too slowly...sorry if that bugs you, but it's just my writing style. I tend to drag things out a little (I to try to still make it interesting and fun to read, though :)_

_So anyway, even if it seems really uninteresting at first, give it a few chapters before you give up. Thanks to all of you reading this, because it means a lot to me :)_

* * *

"The Chuunin Exams, huh?"

"Yep. I'm recommending you this year. I think you're finally ready."

"'Finally'? C'mon sensei, we've been ready for ages! We totally could have aced them last year! Huh, Kuro?" She turned to him, waiting for him to agree. He always did.

Her brother simply grunted in reply.

Kana's gaze returned to Jin-sensei's, her golden eyes lighting up. "Yes! We _so_ got this! But…" Her face fell, if only slightly, a foolish grin still plastered on her face. "This is embarrassing."

Two pairs of eyes looked at her questioningly. The last one just stared unblinking at a blade of grass in the distance, her eyes unseeing. Despite her apathetic and slightly dazed appearance, she was paying apt attention.

Kana met her brother's and sensei's eyes, answering their questioning gaze. "We're going to be, like, the oldest ones there!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "We're a whole year behind!"

Kuro let out a small, slightly exasperated sigh. Their sensei smiled, shaking her head. "Actually, Kana, it's rare that teams just out of the academy get accepted into the exams. I'd be surprised if there were many teams younger than you, if there are even any at all," Jin explained lightly.

"Oh," Kana said. Her face turned thoughtful. "Well, that makes sense, I guess. But I still think we could've passed last year."

Jin chuckled. "Dear, I don't think you'd have even been able to get in last year. Rookie teams like that just aren't good enough to make it. Even now, with an extra year's worth of experience, you're still going to have a rough time."

"There are three rookie teams from Konoha this time," a hollow voice said softly, her unblinking eyes still unmoving. "One of them recently took on Zabuza of the Hidden Mist."

"Oh, really?" her sensei laughed, an almost unnoticeable trace of bitterness and resentment in her voice. "And how would _you_ know something like that? They only told me about the exams a couple days ago, and I'm one of the first to know. And _Zabuza_? I mean, really. Even I couldn't take on Zabuza."

The genin blinked, though her eyes remained fixed. She decided not to reply, knowing that no matter how right she or her evidence was her sensei would always disregard it. It was best not to push the matter.

Jin rolled her emerald eyes at her student. _What a pain that one is, acting as if she knows everything. Why did I get assigned such a difficult student?_

"Who's Zabuza?" Kana asked, clueless.

"It doesn't matter," Jin said. "It's not like a first-year team of mere genin could take on someone like Zabuza, anyway. I'm just glad I was able to get you two into the exams."

"Three."

Jin's eyes narrowed slightly as she turned again to look at her least favorite student. "What did you say?"

"Genin have to be entered in teams of three. And you have three applications in your pocket."

Jin sighed before proceeding to explain her statement as if speaking to a child, her voice sickly sweet. "I didn't say you weren't going, _sweetie_. But just because you're going doesn't mean I have to be glad about it."

The genin blinked again, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, but didn't reply. She simply continued staring into nothing, her hands resting casually in her pockets.

Jin scowled. _Brat. Who does she think she is, ignoring me like that?_ _Just because its normal behavior doesn't mean it's acceptable. She should be taught some manners._

As discreetly and quickly as she could, Jin launched several kunai faster than the eye could see. They sailed silently toward their target, who was facing in almost the opposite direction.

Suddenly, the genin disappeared.

"I'm not as oblivious as you'd like to think," she said, her voice dead and emotionless, from behind her sensei. The kunai made a hollow _thunk_ as they hit a tree several meters past their intended target.

Her two teammates' eyes widened in surprise, not having noticed their sensei's sneak attack. Kana's mouth opened slightly, while Kuro simply put on his stoic mask again to hide his surprise. Jin just sighed, disappointed her student was still as sharp and quick as ever. If only she had gotten a different one.

Their sensei forced a laugh. "I guess you won't be a complete failure after all."

After a moment of unmoving silence, her least favorite student returned to her original position, moving faster than the eye could see, and continued gazing unseeingly.

Kuro crossed his arms, glaring at her. She was definitely trouble. Not that he hadn't already known that.

"So anyway sensei, when are the Chuunin Exams?" Kana asked as if nothing had happened.

"They begin on the first of July," her sensei replied.

"That's only three days away," Kuro noted, careful to keep his voice flat.

Jin rubbed the back of her neck, a sheepish grin on her face. "Sorry guys. I know it's not much notice, but it's all we've got."

"Yes!" Kana exclaimed suddenly. "Let's train really hard for the exams! I know we can do it! Who's with me?" She did a fist pump.

Jin laughed. Kuro tried hard to hide his smile.

"Hold on, not so fast," Jin said lightly.

Kana blinked. "Huh? What is it, sensei?"

Jin reached into her pocket, pulling out three slips of paper. Smiling, she handed them to her two students, the last one still resting between her fingers. "These are the application forms you need in order to get in. Make sure you sign them and take them to room 301 at the Academy three days from now at three o'clock."

"Yeah, okay," Kuro said.

Kana grinned. "Yes! I am so there!"

The last slip of paper suddenly disappeared from their sensei's hand. She scowled, her eyes turning to look at her least favorite student.

The pale girl held the application, looking at it absently. It appeared as if she hadn't moved an inch.

Jin smirked before addressing her rather harshly. "Are you sure you can handle it? These exams are really tough. You might not be good enough to make it through," she said tauntingly. The tone in her voice made it obvious to whom she was speaking to.

A moment of silence passed. "I'll never really know until I pass or fail," the raven-haired genin replied absently, not taking her eyes off her application form. Jin huffed in annoyance. The girl turned her head slightly in her sensei's direction, looking at some point to the left of her head, her white eyes still glazed over. "I'm going to train. I'll be at the Academy at three on the first," she said hollowly, addressing her two teammates as well as her sensei. Then suddenly she was gone.

Kana gasped, startling Kuro, though he tried to hide it. Jin looked at her student questioningly.

"Training!" Kana exclaimed. "We need to get started!"

Kuro nodded in agreement, trying to mask his eagerness. "Let's do it."

Jin smiled, putting her least favorite student out of her mind. Like she cared what the other did. It wasn't her problem. "All right. You'll need all the training you can get."

"Yeah!" Kana said happily, letting loose another of her famous fist pumps. "Let's do this!"

* * *

_**A/N: **Okay, a little bit about this story before we move on:_

_First of all, since I didn't really mention it in the chapter (^^'), I'm just going to throw out there that the four OC's you met in this chapter are all Leaf ninja. ...Just an FYI. And yes, I know I didn't give that one myterious girl a name...don't worry, you'll learn more about her in the next chapter :)_

_And just so you know, I think of the way she talks (I described it as hollow, soft, emotionless, dead, etc.) as kind of a mix between Gaara and Shino and L and Near (from Death Note). Not the way her voice sounds, just the way she talks. Just so you know what's going on in my head :) And she will always talk like that unless my story says she does otherwise._

_A bajillion thanks to SaigeDarklyn, who gave me the idea for the name of this story. She's also helped me a bunch with the character development and stuff. So go check out her story, too! Because it's awesome :D_

_This chapter was pretty short – I'm fairly sure that every chapter after this will be much longer. I'm going to try to break them up more, though, so that it'll be a bit easier to read (I know, for me, it's harder to read stories with a bazillion pages for each chapter than if they're broken up into smaller increments, but that's just me). So anyway, please review so my heart doesn't crumble into a million pieces._


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: **__Hahaha! _What_ now, procrastination? I HAVE UPDATED! :D_

_...*Ahem*. ...Hey_,_ guys. Sorry I haven't updated for so long D: I have no excuses, really...I have been really super busy, I guess, but I could have been better about updating this ^^' So, I'm really sorry about that..._

_But, for the future, I am setting a goal for myself to update something (whether it be this story or another story or another drabble or poem or something) at least once a week (every Thursday). But for the sake of giving myself some breathing room and letting me get a bit farther ahead, I am planning on starting this goal with the beginning of the new year of 2013. I am struggling a bit with keeping up in some of my school classes, though, and I really am kinda busy, but I will really try to be able to keep this goal and actually write this story. But don't expect any updates before 2013...sorry about that :( Make sure you come back and check this story out when the first Thursday of 2013 rolls around :)_

_And although I will do my best to make this goal, also keep in mind that I do have a life outside of fanfiction (not outside of writing, though ^_^). I will prioritize school, sports, and original works above fanfiction, even though I love writing fanfiction :)_

_But anyway, enough of my useless ramblings. On with the second chapter! :D_

* * *

Speed. Breathless. Flying. Freedom.

Muscles aching. Breath bursting. Sweat dripping. Heart racing.

Reina's twin swords wrapped around the wooden dummy, hooking around its base and ripping it fiercely out of the ground. With a small grunt, she sent one weapon flying, the sharp point on the tip of the handle imbedding itself firmly in the center of the small notch on a trunk of a small tree to her right, the other in the bulls-eye on a dummy to her left. With a bloodcurdling screech, a feathered black blur swooped down from the sky, taking the head of a third dummy and sinking his talons into a fourth.

Her hands blurred together, weaving signs almost faster than they eye could see. Whispering something under her breath, she rushed forward, delivering the final blow to the last dummy with a rush of electricity. It flew towards the sky, landing several hundred feet away with a small _thunk_.

Panting heavily, she held her position for a few seconds before sinking to the ground, her exhaustion taking over. She sat there for several minutes on her hands and knees, trying to catch her breath, her sweat dripping from her forehead and forming a small puddle on the grassy earth.

Finally getting control of her breathing, she sat up, leaning back on her hands and passively observing her handiwork.

The remains of the makeshift dummies were scattered across the clearing. One of her swords was stuck in one of them, the force of the impact having knocked the dummy's head off. Her other sword was imbedded in a trunk off to her right. The grass around the dummy she blasted into the air was tinged brown and black.

Renji alighted on top of her head, ruffling his ebony feathers and nipping her ear affectionately. She looked up into his beady eyes and smiled softly.

"The exams are tomorrow," she began. He looked at her expectantly, an exited glint in his eyes. She lowered her gaze, instead looking at the battered clearing before them. "…I think I should go to the first part alone."

Renji cawed in protest, ruffling his feathers indignantly.

"I'm sorry, but I think it's for the best."

Cocking his head slightly, the raven gave it a moment of thought, and, finally, he decided he would have to agree with her; it was probably best if he stayed behind.

Hopping down to perch on her knee, he looked at her quizzically. Was she going to be all right without him?

Reina stared ahead dispassionately. "…I hope so."

In the moment of silence that followed, her ears picked up a faint thump. She tilted her head, trying to locate the sound. After several seconds she heard it again, this time a bit louder.

She knew that sound well – it was the sound of a shuriken hitting the trunk of a tree. With a glance at Renji, she decided to go check it out. Reina thought she had been the only one in the area; she wondered who could be training in such a remote place as she. Hardly anyone came here, besides her.

She headed toward the sound, Renji trailing behind her.

Taro scowled, throwing his shuriken at the ground at his feet. It stuck there, quivering slightly, as if mocking him.

"Why can't I get this stupid technique right?" he yelled to the sky, throwing his arms up in the air in frustration. He stormed around the trees, trying to vent out his boiling anger. Why couldn't he be good enough? Why was he always the only one let behind?

"You've got the angle wrong," a flat, feminine voice said from the trees.

He jumped in surprise, spinning around wildly and trying to place the voice, but as far as he could see he was alone.

"You're trying to throw it at too much of a curve," the voice said from right behind him. Startled, he instinctively turned to attack; however, his rather clumsy punch was caught easily by a black-gloved hand.

"It's not meant to be thrown with such intense spin, not at that angle. It's not supposed to curve like that."

Taro's eyes widened as he took in the pale, black-clad ninja, her white eyes emotionless. Pulling his hand out of her grip, he stumbled backward, trying to regain his composure.

"W-who are you?" he asked.

Blinking, she turned her head to look as his rather close target, not bothering to answer him.

Abruptly whipping her head back to look at the young boy, making him jump slightly, she said, "Throw another shuriken."

Taro just stared at her. "Who are you?" he asked warily.

Eyes unwavering, she replied, "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is: can you hit that target?"

Taro smirked, nodding as he took on the challenge. Drawing a shuriken, he hurled it at the target with all his power, trying harder than he ever had to hit the center.

The blade flew into the ground several feet in front of the target. Taro slumped, upset he had let himself down – again. He looked up at the stranger, embarrassed he'd made such a fool of himself, but she wasn't even looking at him. She was just staring at the weapon in the ground.

Suddenly, Reina withdrew a shuriken from her pouch and, in one fluid motion, threw it at a target Taro had set up earlier, placed twice as far as the one he'd been practicing on before. It struck dead-center.

He stared at her in awe. "How'd you do that?"

Several seconds of silence passed.

"You don't throw it at such an intense angle," she finally replied.

"…No angle…" he said to himself, looking thoughtful. A light sparked in his eyes as he snagged the shuriken stuck in the ground in front of him and threw it at the distant target. It flew wildly to the right.

He looked at her, pouting slightly. "Why couldn't I get it right? I tried what you said…"

She almost smiled, but it didn't quite reach her face. "It just takes practice."

"But that's so _hard_," he said, sighing. "How come I can't get better any faster than that? I want to be the best right now!"

She was silent for a minute, contemplating her response.

"...There are only two ways to be great at something."

He cocked his read. "Really? What?"

"First is talent…which you don't have," she said, looking down at him.

He looked at his shoes, rocking back and forth on his feet. There was a look in his eyes that shouldn't have belonged to a ten-year-old kid. She cocked her head – it must have been a sore spot for him. A bad one.

"It's not _my_ fault I don't have any talent," he mumbled defensively.

Something in his voice told her that he had been accused of this before, and not in such a friendly manner.

"You're right."

His head shot up, his eyes surprised. Had she just agreed with him?  
She looked past him, eyes thoughtful. "You had no say in what you ended up with in the beginning. You can't place the blame on yourself."

Taro looked at the ground, her words racing wildly through his head.

Reina's gaze turned back to him, though he wouldn't meet her eyes. "The second way to become strong – and the most important and effective way – is hard work."

"Hard work?"

"Sweat and blood. Tears and pain. If you want to be good at something, you have to work at it. Keep trying until you collapse. Don't ever quit, no matter what happens…" she looked at the ground, her fist clenching. "…No matter who might try to bring you down…

"…Just work hard and never give up, and always believe in yourself – only then will you truly be great."

She blinked, surprised that all of that had come from her mouth. Since when had she become the motivational speaker?

But the boy didn't seem to notice her discomfort – rather, he was staring at his hands, a thoughtful look on his face.

Leaving the boy to his thoughts, she walked over to the target, removing her shuriken and placing it back in her pocket. She glanced back at him over her shoulder when he looked up, sending him a small but encouraging smile with her eyes that was very rarely seen on her face.

"You have potential, you know," she told him.

He blinked. Did she really think so? He wasn't _really _special…was he?

She just smiled, a knowing look in her eyes, as if reading his thoughts. Then, suddenly, she was gone.

Taro didn't have time to wonder why she disappeared so suddenly – he was too busy contemplating whether she had been telling him the truth.

Never before in his life had anyone encouraged him, or believed in him. He had always been the black sheep, the outcast, the weakling, the disappointment. Did he really have something to work towards? Could he be capable of something great?

He hadn't thought so before, but then he remembered the look that the stranger had given him. With a steely resolve, he realized she couldn't have possibly been lying.

She really believed in him.

He didn't move for a while, contemplating his newfound discovery.

After several minutes of thoughtful silence, he turned toward the trees in the direction she had disappeared.

"Thanks, miss!" he yelled, waving his arm above his head, a huge grin on his face.

With a determined resolve, he grabbed another shuriken and took another aim at the closer target.

Hidden within the trees, Reina watched as the boy finally hit his mark, a huge grin on his face. She smiled softly beneath her mask. He was young, but he was growing – and she was certain they would meet again.

With a contented sigh, she took off through the trees, wondering how the boy would turn out. He had potential – his future held a lot of promise if he kept working hard. She was intrigued as to how he would turn out.

Renji cawed from above, swooping low and playfully nipping her hair.

Sighting softly, she picked up her pace, knowing he was right. The Exams were tomorrow – they needed to be sure they were ready. And there was one more technique she wanted to try out…

* * *

_**A/N: **__So, yep. Yay for another chapter! Hope you likey :)_

_Even though he was introduced in this chapter, we won't be seeing Taro again for a long while. So just keep him in the back of your mind and know that his introduction was not totally random and useless. It will become more important later on, I promise :)_

_Review, please - you have no idea how much I totally love reviews. If no one reviews my story, I may spontaneously combust and die a long painful death, and this story will never ever be finished D:_

_...Plus, if you review, you win a virtual cookie :)_

_And, as an added bonus, I ALWAYS check out reviewers' profiles and stories, regardless of how good/bad their review is. If that wasn't serious motivation, then I don't know what is! ;)_

_And also, thanks to SaigeDarklyn - although she didn't really help with specifics of this specific chapter, she has thus far been an awesome motivator and idea-giver and definitely motivated me to update as soon as I did (...even though it still took me, like, three months -_-'). I just wanted to throw that out there :)_

_I'll try my best to be able to update again with the new year! ^_^_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: **__Hey, sorry for such a short chapter after such a long wait! ...And sorry it sucks -_-' I know this story is moving along really slowly, and it's probably hard to keep track of my OC's names and stuff (especially after this chapter -_-'), but just bear with me. And don't worry, we'll be seeing some more canon characters soon, I promise. So anyway, thanks a bunch to all of you who reviewed the last two chapters, I really appreciate it!_

* * *

"As you know, I have been planning an attack on Konoha for some time now."

"Yes." The air around the kneeling figure seemed to buzz as he spoke.

"That time is drawing very close. Your mission is an important one."

The bandaged ninja waited patiently for his instructions, head bowed. No need to rush the Sannin.

"I'm not expecting much from Dosu's team. I trust you to keep them in line. Make sure they don't forget their mission."

"Yes."

"Of course," the Sannin said, a twisted grin forming on his face, "your mission is much more important. You remember it, right?"

"Yes."

"Good," the pale ninja purred. "I expect much from you. Do not disappoint me."

Just then the doors opened. In walked two young ninja escorted by a black-clad shinobi, his face hidden behind a loose mask. Upon entering, the two genin fell silent, having previously been arguing with each other, and bowed their heads respectfully toward their leader. The black-clad ninja did the same.

"These will be your teammates for this mission," the Sannin informed the one kneeling before him. "I trust that you'll be able to handle them." He turned his attention to the two newcomers. "Ikko will be your leader on this mission. I expect you to follow his orders and carry out the mission successfully. Do not," he said, "disappoint me."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," the two said in unison.

The Sannin glanced at the older shinobi that had escorted the two to him. "Erikku, you will act as their sensei during the Exams."

"Yes, of course."

"You are dismissed," he said, waving his hand. He watched as Ikko led his team out of the room, their "sensei" following close behind.

Orochimaru smiled; a twisted, cruel smile that would have made anyone shrink away in fear. That young one would make a fine underling, indeed. If only his body had been worthy enough…then he could have _really _made something of himself.

* * *

_**A/N: **...Again, sorry it's so short...and sorry I didn't update last week! D: ...I have no excuses, though, I just forgot -_-'_

_Because of school and my laziness, I'm only a few chapters ahead. I might update next week, or I might change my updating goal to every other week rather than every week -_-' I'm getting more into my writing, though, so hopefully I'll end up getting motivated to write the chapters fast enough ^_^_

_But in the meantime, please review! :D_

_Oh, and thanks to madin456 and SaigeDarklyn for reviewing/beta-ing chapters, you guys are awesome! :D_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: **Yay! I updated on time! :D_

_A couple things have happened since my last update (if you don't really care about my dreary personal life, feel free to skip to the actual story) : _

_1) I am now obsessed with Bleach. I started the series the beginning of last year (before I discovered Naruto) but gave up on it 20 episodes in. I gave it a second chance last...Thursday, I think. I am now on episode 83 and am very upset I haven't been able to watch any episodes since Sunday D: And I also got mad at Uryuu for being so friggin noble. And fantastic. And pitiful. And my new favorite character :)_

_2) Yay for the end of first semester! I survived half of the year...and will probably die near the end... I'm about a month behind in my AP class (no, that is not an exaggeration in the slightest...unfortunately) and will soon die if I don't catch up._

_3) I got asked to Prom! Eep! My first date D: I don't know if I'm excited or if I want to die ^^ Frankly, I'm surprised any guy is capable of taking interest in me at all...I'm pretty bland on the outside ^^ I have been freaking out about this all week and have gotten pretty much nothing done. At all. So now I'm stressed, nervous, behind, and exhausted. Feel lucky I'm updating at all, as I still have two or three hours of homework and it's almost eight x.x_

_4) I finally started actively working on my sci-fi novel. (OHMYGOSHBRENDANILOVEYOUICAN'TBELIEVEICREATEDSOMEONESOAMA ZING!) *Ahem* Yes, I will marry my character someday :) But anyway, more original works means less time for fanfiction..._

_5) I watched the Naruto Shippuden episode that came out today! *dies* GAARAILOVEYOU! I have been waiting for this fight for, like, fifty episodes!_

_And, now that you're up to date with my personal life (sorry, I needed that rant -_-'), get on with the fanfiction :) Sorry there still isn't much action...I'm getting to it. Hang in there for a couple more chapters ^_^'_

* * *

Reina sat silently, concealed within the dense leaves of a thick tree overlooking the front doors of the Academy building. She hadn't been here for a good three years, and the sight of the building brought back memories she didn't particularly care to revisit.

Absentmindedly, she began stroking Renji, who shivered pleasantly from the touch. A smile almost touched her lips; she was grateful she had at least one friend, and she rather enjoyed his company.

She had been sitting there for some time waiting for her teammates to arrive. Her application rested safely in her pocket, forgotten for the time being as she studied the various genin entering the building. None of them appeared to be serious competition. Not yet.

Of course, she was two-and-a-half hours early, as she had finished preparing for the exams early that morning and hadn't had much else to do. There was no telling what kind of ninja could arrive between now and three o'clock.

The raven-haired genin turned her eyes back toward Renji, remembering the training they had undergone the past three days. They had finally perfected the technique they had been working on for months. He was eager to try it out in battle, but she had insisted they save it for the finals; it was best to hide their ace until the last possible moment.

He had wanted to accompany her to the entirety of the Exams, but she thought it best to go alone in the beginning. Not many ninja worked in sync with an animal partner, and she hadn't wanted to draw too much attention to herself before the Exams had even started. Besides that, he was rather big, as well as being a bit of a show-off, so she figured it would be best if he stayed behind for the indoor portion. Although she enjoyed and wanted his company, she had decided to leave him behind for the first test. The raven had resisted a bit, but in the end he had complied without much fuss because, in all honesty, he knew that she was probably right, as usual.

With an almost unnoticeable sigh Reina pulled herself out of her reverie. She removed something small and silver from a hidden pocket within the folds of the cloth she used for her forehead protector, which she wore loosely around her neck. She held the object almost reverently. Renji hopped closer to her, nuzzling against her side as a sign of comfort. Forcing the memories into the back of her mind, she flipped back the cap and sparked the odd-colored flame, watching hollowly as it burned into oblivion.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As the time for the Exams to start drew gradually closer, more and more genin began arriving. A small cluster of them stood outside the doors, most of them mentally preparing themselves for the Exams. Renji had flown off some time ago but now landed silently on the branch next to her. A low guttural caw escaped his throat, letting her know that her teammates were almost there. She nodded her thanks, giving him one last stroke before jumping to the ground, landing lightly on her feet. She stood in the shadow of the tree until Kana and Kuro rounded the corner.

Kuro caught sight of her first, narrowing his eyes slightly as he recognized her. Kana followed his gaze, giving her a light wave when she realized who her brother was looking at. "How long have you been here?" she asked once they reached her.

"It doesn't matter," she said passively, dismissing the question. Kana just shrugged.

"All right then." She glanced at the Academy doors eagerly. "Let's go! I can't wait for these exams!" Kana grabbed her brother's arm and dragged him behind her. He begrudgingly let her lead him.

The pale genin glanced back one last time at her best friend before following her teammates through the doors, her hands resting casually in her pockets. Renji watched her go, then flew off, deciding to train on his own rather than pulling pranks on the villagers, which was what he would normally be doing. He thought he owed his partner that, at least.

"What's going on over there?" Kana asked curiously as they approached a cluster of people on one of the upper floors.

"How am I supposed to know?" Kuro replied.

Kana pushed her way to the front of the group of genin, wanting to see what all the commotion was about. Kuro and Reina followed behind, neither caring much about it.

"What's going on?" Kana asked again, this time to the two Leaf ninja blocking the doorway, noticing the two genin that had been beaten back. It was obvious who had done it to them, as the two Leaf ninja were gloating over them.

Before they could answer, Reina grabbed the back of her teammate's shirt, whispering almost silently into her ear, "Don't get involved."

Kana blinked and looked back, unsure as to what she should do; she _wanted_ to get involved, of course, but if Reina was actually speaking out against something she figured it probably wasn't wise to do it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her twin brother shaking his head, warning her against taking action.

All right, she had no idea why she shouldn't, but Kana had faith enough in her brother to do what he suggested, especially if Reina was backing him up on it.

A team of three young Leaf genin suddenly pushed their way to the front, effectively drawing everyone's attention and cutting off any further remarks from the two Leaf ninja toward Kana.

_Those are the three rookie Leaf genin Renji told me about; the ones who took on Zabuza,_ Reina recognized, keeping the information to herself. _I'll have to keep an eye on them._

"Real nice speech. Now both of you step aside and let me through," the cocky looking black-haired one said arrogantly, taking a couple steps forward. "And while you're at it, reverse the genjutsu; we can see through your illusion, anyway. We're going to the _third_ floor."

"What does he mean? We're _on _the third floor," someone in the small crowd muttered.

"I know," another replied, clueless.

"Well, well," the spiky-haired Leaf ninja blocking the doorway said.

"So, you noticed the genjutsu, huh?" the other piped up.

Smirking, the boy turned to his pink-haired teammate. "Go ahead, tell them, Sakura. I'm sure you saw it before anyone else did."

"Huh?" she responded, seeming to snap out of a daze.

"You have the sharpest eyes and the best analytical skills on our squad; you must have seen this coming a mile away."

"I must have?" A moment of silence passed as the kunoichi seemed to gather her thoughts. "Well, sure. …Of course, sure, I spotted it right away," she said confidently. "This is only the second floor."

"Right," their teammate said, nodding his head.

Reina cocked her head slightly. _…There's something about him…something ominous…_

With a smirk, the Leaf ninja released his justu, opening one eye as he said mockingly, "Well aren't we the smart ones? So you noticed an illusion." He sniffed. "Now let's see you deal with this!" he said, moving in to attack.

With lightning-quick reflexes, the black-haired genin reacted instantly, bringing up his leg to counterattack. Before either blow made contact, though, a goofy-looking genin appeared between them, easily blocking each of their kicks with his hands and releasing them smoothly as he exhaled calmly.

That's about when Kana decided the situation didn't apply to her anymore. In the agitated whisperings and mutterings that ensued after the revelation, she whispered fiercely to her teammates, "How the heck did I not see that genjutsu? Did either of you?"

"Yes," they answered simultaneously.

"How on earth did you catch that? It was so discreet! Am I just _stupid_ or something?"

"No, it wasn't," Kuro sighed, answering his sister's statement rather than her questions. "It was a pretty simple genjutsu; not that hard to spot, especially to the trained eye."

Kana pouted, disappointed in her obvious inability. "…Well. _Sorry _for not being the genjutsu expert here," she said sarcastically.

Kuro rolled his eyes, deciding to let her remark slide. He wasn't really in the mood for a fight, even if it wasn't a serious one.

Seeing that Kuro wasn't taking her taunt, Kana turned to Reina, a questioning look in her eyes. "Well, how did _you_ know, then? You _suck_ at genjutsu!"

Reina sighed internally; she sometimes forgot how dense her teammate could be.

"She's blind, you idiot," Kuro answered for her. "Obviously visual genjutsu wouldn't work on her."

Kana blinked slowly. "…Oh, yeah, I forgot," she said.

Kuro sighed. "Let's just get these applications in before you hurt yourself."

"Shut up," was his sister's useless reply.

* * *

_**A/N:**__ …Yes. Reina is blind. Yes, she can also see. …Not the same way, but she can still "see", in a sense. But how, you ask? You'll find out, don't worry ^_^ _

_I wasn't originally going to let them see through the genjutsu, but when I got to this part of the story I realized there were two problems to that plan that I hadn't realized until I tried to write the scene: one, Reina is blind, so it wouldn't affect her (at least…I don't think it would…). Two, Kuro is a genjutsu specialist, so he'd probably be able to see through it pretty easily, as it wasn't a very powerful jutsu or anything (at least…I don't think it was…). So…they ended up being able to see through it ^^'_

_I wasn't sure exactly what kind of genjutsu that was, though. …Wait, are there types of genjutsu? I really have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to jutsus, esp. genjutu, so if anyone has anything they'd like to share about how genjutsu works I'd really appreciate it. And if I get something wrong, please correct me ^_^_

_So anyway, sorry for the boring crap…review, please, and keep reading :) It'll get better, I promise x.x_

_Thanks to madin456 for beta-ing this chapter. It is now worthy of reading :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: **Okay, before you get mad at me for not updating for so long, read this chapter ^^' And then review. And once you have reviewed, you are allowed to get mad. ...But not before._

_Not before you review. After. Not before._

_...N.O.T. B.E.F.O.R.E._

_So if you want to get mad, read and review first! ^_^_

* * *

Ikko folded his arms and leaned back against the wall, his eyes cold and calculating as he took in the plethora of ninja filling the room. Although most of them looked tough enough, he was certain that the majority of them couldn't hope to stand up to him; he knew most of their toughness was just an act.

However, there were a couple who stood out to him, some that looked like they may actually be serious competition.

There was that red-headed Sand genin, for one. Ikko knew that the gourd on his back wasn't just for show, and there was something behind the kid's eyes, something dark and powerful and full of hate. He would definitely have to watch out for that one.

And that one boy with the Byakugan? Ikko knew he'd have to watch that one simply by looking at him. The confident and superior air about him, although well hidden, was evident in the Sound genin's eyes. He knew about the Hyuuga clan and why they were so renowned for their abilities; he'd have to be careful around that one.

Then there was that mysterious Leaf genin, the one dressed entirely in black as well as concealing the lower part of her face with a black mask, and any skin that might have been showing below her shoulders had been bandaged. She had her pitch black, waist-length hair pulled back in a long ponytail, and the dark hair framing her face was stark contrast to her snowy skin and white, misty eyes. Although she didn't look like much, there was an air about her that suggested there might be something more behind that blank, apathetic look of hers.

Who he assumed were her two teammates didn't look like much, and he would have written them off as nothing if he hadn't noticed the boy's dull scars. Taking a closer look, the Sound genin realized that they covered his entire body. Something must have made those scars – he figured he might have to watch out for that one, after all. Besides the scars, though, the boy stood out; with his golden eyes, reddish-brown hair, tanned skin, and light body armor, as well as the fact that he was rather short for a boy his age, he stood out from among the crowd. He wore a sleeveless, forest-green top; black gloves, pants, and sandals; and a small piece of armor that guarded his chest, held up by a strap over his right shoulder. Coupled with his stoic expression and sturdy build, at a second glance he seemed that he might be someone to be reckoned with.

Ikko's eyes traveled to the short girl standing next to the boy. There was a fierce look in her eyes that could prove to be a problem, but other than that she seemed insignificant. Her features and small build were similar enough to the boy's that they could have easily been siblings. Dressed rather casually compared to most, she wore a simple dark green shirt and grey bottoms. Her gloves matched those of the boy's next to her, and fishnets covered her arms and legs.

All in all, though, they didn't seem like much of a threat to the confident Sound genin. Not allowing himself to become too overconfident, however, he kept them in the back of his mind, just in case.

His gaze then turned to the newcomers that had just entered the room, instantly recognizing Sasuke Uchiha. The very air around him seemed to scream "Uchiha". Ikko's eyes narrowed. So, _that_ was the last remaining member of the Uchiha clan, the one his master wanted so badly, the one who's potential he had so often talked about. Of course, the boy must have had potential, but he didn't look like much; he was only a rookie genin, after all. Surely he wasn't as special as Orochimaru made him out to be?

Shaking the thought from his head, Ikko's attention was averted as a goofy-looking blond-haired kid decided to rile up all the ninja in the room.

Well, one thing was for sure – he wouldn't have to watch out for _that_ one.

"Doesn't seem like there's anyone too tough, especially that blond freak over there," Kyokuu, one of his "teammates", said, smirking. "What an idiot. This'll be a piece of cake!"

"Don't overestimate yourself," Nohkan warned.

"Shut up. I can handle myself," she retorted, sending her annoying teammate a glance.

"Whatever." Glancing sideways at their team's leader, Nohkan asked, "What do you think, Ikko?"

A moment passed before the Sound ninja replied. When he did his mouth didn't move, and the sound seemed to be coming from his chest. "There are a couple we should watch out for, but overall nobody seems to pose much of a problem." There was an air of finality to his tone, bringing an end to the conversation. His thoughts were elsewhere.

_Of course Dosu had to get involved in this,_ Ikko thought to himself, a hint of disgust and dislike hidden in his thoughts. _He just has to be everyone's superior, doesn't he?_

At the moment, however, Ikko's job was to monitor Dosu and his team, not control them. Dosu wasn't even aware of the Ikko's assignment. So, for the time being, the Sound genin stayed back and watched from the shadows.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

How curious. That blond-haired kid seemed to be a complete idiot; with his bold words and bright attire, he made the obvious target. There was something about him, though, that Reina couldn't quite put her finger on. It seemed to be hidden from her normally sharp vision somehow, and it bothered her slightly to be blinded in such a way.

While all eyes in the room turned to him and the screaming pinkette, however, Reina's gaze turned to scan the room in search of anyone that could prove to be a challenge. Most of the ninja present looked fairly tough, but there was one who caught the most part of her attention.

Leaning against the wall opposite her with his arms folded, the sandy-haired Sound genin scanned the room with confident yet cautious black eyes. Bandages wrapped his entire body, covering his mouth and nose like a mask but leaving the rest of his head visible. A grey, open-collared shirt was worn over his bandages, with a long right sleeve and a short left one, and his baggy pants were a darker grey. At first glance he seemed insignificant, but she could sense that those bandages were hiding something.

Although the two standing next to him didn't look like much, Reina suspected there was more to them than met the eye.

Standing closest to the bandaged genin was a boy with greyish-black hair that stuck almost straight up. He wore a dark blue, long-sleeved shirt and long black pants. The girl next to him was wearing a purple kimono with tight black shorts underneath. Her short, rugged hair was a dull black, and her bangs hung just above her eyes. Black and grey camouflage leg and arm warmers were worn over bandages that covered most of her legs and arms but left the upper parts visible. Reina cocked her head – they seemed to be hiding something underneath that looked metallic to her, but she couldn't tell what they were exactly.

"All right, you baby-faced degenerates! Pipe down and listen up!" a loud, commanding voice announced rather suddenly, interrupting the pale Leaf genin's thoughts with an unnecessary cloud of smoke and effectively eliciting everyone's attention. "It's time to begin," the scarred, heavily built man said deliberately with a small smirk on his face. "I'm Ibiki Morino, your proctor; and from this moment, your worst enemy."

* * *

_**A/N: **Hehe, I like the word "plethora" ^_^_

_Anyway._

_I know I haven't updated like I said I would...I'm sorry! D: It's just that nobody has reviewed and it made me lose my inspiration for this story. But I finally forced myself to do it last weekend and, voila, a new chapter is born! I have the next chapter halfway written and hopefully I'll be able to finish it before next Thursday. The more reviews I get, the higher the chance I'll make it! And yay, something will finally happen next chapter XD I know it's been slow going so far, but don't worry, the pace will pick up soon. I promise :)_

_So keep reading and reviewing and writing!_

_~Amaranthin_

_P.S. I now cannot say "Byakugan" without thinking of Byakuya XD_


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